In some applications, an inkjet printhead is serviced by moving the printhead into an area adjacent to a service station where ink is discharged in a process commonly called “spitting.” Such discharge removes ink that has degraded in quality, such as by drying and thickening. As a result of such maintenance, print quality is increased. In some applications, overall printhead life may be extended where the printhead would have failed due to drying and hardening of ink.
Printhead servicing may create problems due to air-borne ink droplets. In particular, it is a frequent consequence of printhead servicing operations which include spitting to produce an “aerosol cloud”. The aerosol cloud is a region wherein small particles of ink are suspended in air during and after printhead servicing. As the particles forming the aerosol cloud settle, a build-up of ink residue may be formed in areas within the enclosure of the printer. The ink residue may accumulate, among other locations, on mechanical components, which may come into contact with print media, thereby degrading print quality.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.